Words Damaris Colhoun

Sustainable Performance

Knoll’s Crypton Green

www.knoll.com

“Environmental and high performance” are the words on everybody’s lips, according to Dorothy Cosonas, Creative Director of Knoll Textiles. To bridge these often conflicting concerns, Knoll has introduced its first Crypton Green fabric collection. Developed in 1994, Crypton is a high-performing fabric system with a built-in moisture barrier to resist stains, odor, bacteria and fading; it’s also free of VOCs and toxic chemicals and comes in a variety of weaves and treatments. Knoll’s Crypton Green is the fabric’s latest iteration. It exceeds industry standards for air quality, and is made of post-consumer recycled polyester, making it Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Silver certified. Best of all, the fabrics—Fable, Legend, Lore—are highly stylish. Cosonas calls Legend a “modern take on tartan.” Prices from $39/yd.

Bridging the Contract/Residential Divide

Twenty2 for Designtex

www.dtex.com
www.twenty2.net

Landau and Interlocken [with checks]

Twenty2 caused a stir five years ago when the Brooklyn-based studio launched its collection of hand-printed residential wallpapers. At the time, clean, bold wall coverings were a fresh idea. Sensing a change in the air, Designtex commissioned a contract line. The first collection—coordinated ensembles of geometric prints, organic fronds and plaids—geared towards hospitality, quickly found a niche in the booming market of boutique hotel design. What made the line so appealing, says interior designer Sy John Iverson, who specializes in hotels, is that it is “edgy but friendly.”

Designed for offices, Twenty2’s new collection emphasizes texture over graphics and flexibility over coordination. It includes embossed vinyl wallcoverings and multi-purpose fabrics for cubicle padding, drapery and upholstery. The firm chose embosses because they don’t require much prep work for contractors and they provide texture and color without a huge commitment to pattern. Twenty2 continues to experiment with new materials and graphics to make sure customers like Iverson come back for more. As he puts it, “Twenty2 is a unique experience. And, I’m always thinking, ‘What, from the guest’s experience, makes you stand out’?” Wallcoverings from $19/yd; fabrics from $29/yd.

Partners in Individuality

Maharam’s Layers Collection

www.maharam.com

Dutch designer Hella Jongerius helped launch a new design movement in the 1990s with her idiosyncratic objects that wed handicraft with industry. Working mostly in limited editions, she caused a stir in 2000, when she teamed up with Maharam. In 2002, they launched Repeat, an upholstery fabric comprised of a series of patterns that flow into one another every few yards, producing unique outcomes depending on its use. In her latest collection, Layers, she explores dimension and texture in three fabrics inspired by park, garden, and vineyard. For Park, wool-blend felt fabrics are bound together by intricate needlework, then embellished with hand-cut windows to reveal the contrasting layer. The Layers collection was a challenge to manufacture, but Jongerius and Maharam worked hand in hand. As this expert in creative couplings observes, “We have a textile marriage.” Single layer fabric, $175/ yd; double-layer fabric, $350/ yd.